Welcome the Children
by Meliantha
Summary: Jesus is giving His Sermon on the Mount when all the small children wish to meet Him. Inspired by Mark 10:13-16. Please R and R!


Author's Note: In church today, the minister was reading from Mark the part about Jesus welcoming all the little children, and I was suddenly inspired to do this fic. Just think: if you were a child in the time of Jesus, how would you react?

  
  


Disclaimer: Do you really need a disclaimer for a rendition of a Bible story?

  
  


Welcome the Children

  
  


"Mama, can we go see Jesus today?" the little girl chirped, tugging on her mother's dress.

The mother bent down to see eye to eye with her daughter. "Janna, Jesus is a very busy Man. He doesn't need you to be distracting Him from His teachings."

"But Mama," Janna whined. "Isn't Jesus the Messiah from the Scriptures? If He is, He always has time!"

Mrs. Asenkaah put her hands on her hips. "Honey, no. Besides, I am too busy to take you to see Him."

"Mama, I'm ten years old! I can take care of myself."

"No."

"Miriam could take me," Janna suggested.

"Alright! It's a nice day outside anyway, so you might as well be out there. Go get your sister."

Janna nodded happily and raced to her sister's room. "Miriam, Miriam!"

Miriam looked up from her sewing and smiled at her little sister. "Yes, Janna?"

"Mama said we could go up to see Jesus!"

Her older sister's face fell, and she turned back to her loom. "Janna, why do you insist on seeing this Man?"

"Why not?" Janna inquired. "He is the Messiah, isn't he?"

"That's not a for-sure thing."

"Aw, come on, Miriam! We don't have to stay to listen to the entire lesson. I just wanna see Him..."

Miriam sighed. "Okay, we'll go."

Janna jumped for joy. She took her sister's hand and dragged her out of the house, calling good-bye to their mother.

  
  


"Whoever divorces his wife," Jesus was preaching, "and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Suddenly, the parents who had brought their children began bringing them to Jesus.

"Oh! Now's our chance!" Janna exclaimed. Before Miriam could stop her, the little girl was dashing to meet Jesus. However, one of Jesus's disciples stopped her by grabbing her shoulders. Janna glared up at the man indignantly. "I want to see Jesus," Janna declared.

"Wait until he's done teaching, little girl," the disciple said.

Jesus saw that the other disciples were also rebuking the children who wished to meet Him, and this did not make Him happy. "Let the little children come to Me," he told the disciples. When they hesitated, He continued, "Do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God." The disciples gave in, and Janna was the first to get to Jesus.

He smiled at her so lovingly that Janna almost cried. Jesus lifted her onto His lap, still wearing that caring smile. Janna leaned into Him, feeling confident and secure with Him. "Assuredly, I say to you," He said, "whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter."

Janna's heart swelled with pride at this. Jesus picked her off His lap, blessing her. The other children flocked around their Teacher, and he blessed each one of them as well. Janna ran to her sister. "Did you see, did you see?" she exulted. "I got to sit on His lap!"

Miriam was now smiling as well, finally convinced that indeed, this Man is the Messiah. She picked her little sister off the ground and held her. "Yes, I did see that," she said.

"He said that you can only enter the kingdom of God by being a little child," Janna said thoughtfully as her sister carried her home. "Does that mean that only children like me can enter?"

Her older sister shook her head. "No. It just means that you must have the faith of a child, fully trusting in Him."

"Oh," Janna said, still not understanding. "Uh, what's that mean?" Miriam laughed. 

"You needn't worry about it, Janna," she reassured her. "You will understand when you are older."

Janna didn't hear her. She had fallen asleep in her sister's arms. Miriam smiled down at Janna. It must've been very exciting, to get to sit in the Messiah's lap. The excitement could wear anyone out, let alone a girl of ten such as Janna. 

It would be difficult, Miriam knew, to act as a little child when all the doubts of adult were constantly flooding your mind. But Miriam would try her hardest to be like her little sister in faith.

  
  


Ending Author's Note: What'd you think? I'm rather proud of this story. Read and review, for it will make me a very happy person. =D


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